Universities around the world are facing a common challenge: Covid-19 restrictions are causing many students to feel disconnected – from each other, from faculty and from their college communities.
The Walton MBA Walks initiative, hour-long outdoor executions hosted by Walton College faculty and administration, creates safe opportunities for full-time MBA students to connect with the Walton College community.
“First-year MBA students asked to be better connected with faculty,” says Vikas Anand, executive director of the Walton MBA programs at the University of Arkansas. “Building relationships is a key component of the Walton MBA programs, and we are trying to do this while keeping the constraints of the pandemic in mind.”
“If we didn’t have these walks, the only way I would be able to connect with my professors is through email or the short time directly after class,” says Ontario West, current full-time MBA student and graduate assistant.
“I learned Dr. Conway likes playing piano and speaks French. Sometimes it is those small conversations that make me as a student feel more connected to my professor,” West says.
“It’s a new medium of relationship building,” says Dan Conway, professor of data analytics, associate director of the Blockchain Center of Excellence and Walton MBA Walks participant.
Anand and Conway are two of several Walton College faculty and administration participating in the initiative. Other participants include Dean Matthew Waller, Alan Ellstrand, Sarah Jensen, David Dobrzykowski and Tomas Jandik.
“I participated in the program because it offered a safe way to get to know MBA students during the pandemic,” says Alan Ellstrand, associate dean for programs and research at Walton College. “The walks enabled me to get out in the fresh air, get some exercise and most importantly, learn about the background, experiences and aspirations of our outstanding MBA students.”
A large percentage of MBA students opted to attend Fall 2020 classes remotely. Peyton Boxberger, current accelerated MBA student and Walton MBA Walks coordinator, says the initiative is not only a great opportunity to connect with faculty and administration, but other MBA students as well.
“We had a few opportunities to connect at the beginning of the semester, but since then, because of the pandemic, the number of opportunities to connect with each other has been limited,” Boxberger says. “The Walton MBA Walks initiative was a great opportunity to get to know other students.”
The initiative was well-received and due to high demand, the walks will now continue throughout the spring semester. “Almost every student has participated so far,” Boxberger says. “Once all students have had a chance to participate in the first round of walks there will be more opportunities to meet with other participants.”
Several Walton MBA alumni, including Kim Griffith, vice president of Walmart Sales – Beauty Care at Henkel, Nora Cooper, senior manager of insights consulting and customer data strategy at Walmart, and Don Walsh, director of culinary innovation, foodservice and retail at Tyson Foods, have also volunteered to participate in the walks.
Ellstrand hopes students “understand that we care about them and want the best for them.” He encourages students and participants to take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful weather in Northwest Arkansas and to explore the University of Arkansas campus.
Executive MBA students, many of whom reside outside of the Northwest Arkansas area and have limited availability to attend in-person activities outside of their once-a-month, face-to-face Saturday classes have the option to participate in virtual meetings with faculty and administration.
